Tales to Astonish 71
"Escape... to Nowhere!" is the title to the first story featured in the seventy-first issue of the first ''Tales to Astonish'' ongoing comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It features the character of the Sub-Mariner. The superlative story was written by Stan Lee. The sensational art is by Adam Austin. The spectacular inking is by Vince Colletta, and the sufficient lettering is by Artie Simek! Yes, this is how it is printed in the comic itself. The second tale is called "Like a Beast at Bay!" and features the Hulk. Stunning story by Stan Lee. Lavish layouts by Jack Kirby. Awesome art by Mickey Demeo, and luscious lettering by Artie Simek. This issue shipped with a September, 1965 cover date and carries a cover price of .12 cents per copy. Synopsis Having discovered the first clue to the location of the Trident of Neptune, the Sub-Mariner must fight off a giant squid before continuing on his journey. He sees a vision of Neptune, which urges him to continue his quest by exploring the Forbidden Deeps. Along the way, he dispatches a group of Krang's troops on a soil-mover. Krang monitor's the Sub-Mariner's actions from afar, with the Lady Dorma held prisoner at his lair. Namor continues swimming towards the Forbidden Deeps and comes upon a peasant named Vashti. Vashti pledges his servitude to Namor, and acknowledges him as Atlantis' true king. This emboldens Namor and he travels onward. He reaches the Hidden Deeps where he encounters its guardian - a giant Seaweed Man. The Seaweed Man has the second clue to the location of the Trident of Neptune, but to acquire it, Namor must first best him in combat. Namor fights against the Seaweed Man, but is at a physical disadvantage due to the Seaweed Man's extended reach. Namor throws a broken stalagmite at him like a spear, but the Seaweed Man crushes it in his hand. He then turns his "grip of doom" upon Namor himself and begins crushing him. "Escape... to Nowhere!" * Sub-Mariner, Namor * Dorma * Vashti * Krang * Seaweed Man * Father Neptune * Atlantean Army * Atlantis * Fish * Mutants * Seahorses * Squids * Atlantis * Hidden Deeps * Ray gun * Trident of Neptune * Submersibles * Soil mover * Aquatic respiration * Bodily rotation * Superhuman strength * Disintegration * Guard * Laser weapons * Swimming * Tentacles "Like a Beast at Bay!" The United States Army launches a prototype "clean" missile at the Leader's humanoid, which incapacitates it. The Hulk manages to grab Rick Jones and super-leap to a safe distance, but the explosive impact knocks Rick for a loop and the Hulk has to administer CPR. Thaddeus Ross and his troops continue to track the Hulk's movements, and the Hulk brings Rick to his cave. The Leader projects a hologram of himself to the Hulk's location. He tells him that he can save Hulk from the pending military attack, but only if swears undying loyalty to him. He plainly states, "The choice is yours!" * Hulk, Bruce Banner * Glenn Talbot * Rick Jones * Thaddeus Ross * The Leader, Samuel Sterns * The Humanoid * None * United States Army * Humans * Altered humans * New Mexico :* Los Diablos Missile Base :* Hulk's Cave * Gamma ray projector * Super-sized prototype Sunday puncher * Aircraft * U.S. Army jeeps * U.S. Army tanks * U.S. Army trucks * Superhuman strength * Super-leaping * Gamma radiation * Giant robot * Hologram * Military units * Radioactivity Notes & Trivia * "TTA 71" serves as a shortcut to this page. * Artist Gene Colan is credited as Adam Austin in this issue. * Inker Mike Esposito is credited as Mickey Demeo in this issue. * This is the first appearance of Vashti. He becomes a supporting character throughout the remainder of the series as well as future Sub-Mariner titles. * This is the first appearance of the Seaweed Man. Let's just take a moment to acknowledge that there is actually a character in the Marvel Universe known as the Seaweed Man. And here ya probably thought it doesn't get any goofier than Man-Thing, Squirrel Girl, and Hellcow, right? * The Hulk has the intelligence of Bruce Banner in this issue. * In both stories the main villain is watching events from afar over a monitoring system. Evil villains seem to have cameras damn near everywhere in the Marvel Universe, don't they? * The Hulk does not revert to Bruce Banner in this issue. He cannot change back due to a pre-existing gunshot wound, that would kill Banner if he reverted to human form. The Hulk's personality is similar to that from his earliest appearances, and is in-line with his future "Mister Fixit" persona that he will adopt in the 1980s. Reprints Stories from this issue are reprinted in the following volumes: "Escape... to Nowhere!" * Essential Sub-Mariner 1 * Marvel Masterworks: The Sub-Mariner 1 * Sub-Mariner King-Size Special 1 "Like a Beast at Bay!" * Essential Hulk 1 * Incredible Hulk King-Size Special 3 * Incredible Hulk Omnibus 1 * Incredible Hulk: The Complete Collection * Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk 2 Recommended Reading See also External Links * * * Gallery Soil mover.jpg Vashti - TTA71.jpg Dorma - TTA71.jpg Hidden Deeps.jpg Seaweed Man.jpg Leader - TTA71 001.jpg Hulk and Rick TTA71 001.jpg Ross - TTA71.jpg Hulk's cave.jpg References